Closure



H E. TOWNSEND.

CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED 056.13, 1919.

1,393,925 Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

FIG-I FIG- 2 INVENTOR Mum n TTORNEY UNITED STATES HABFY E. TOWNSEND, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CLOSURE.

Application filed December 13, 1919.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. Tor "NSEND, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have inv ited certain new and useful improvements in Closures, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to closures adapted for use in connection with jars, or other similar containers, and has for its object the provision. of a closure which can be more readily removed from the container than has heretofore been the case, particularly in cases where the container is sealed under a vacuum.

The nature of my improvement will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings in which they are illus trated and in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a container sealed with my improved closure, the container being shown partly in section, or rather broken away, and the closure being shown partly in section on one side.

Fig. 2 is a similar elevation showin the closure tilted, and

Fig; 3 is a plan view of the closure viewed from its lower side.

A is the container, the inner side of the mouth of which is tapered as shown at A. an approximately cylindrical surface being provided below the taper as indicated at A A is the top edge of the lip. B is the closure which is of the kind intended to make an inner seal with the container. and is formed with a peripheral flange B which is adapted to extend over the top of the containeuas.

shown, and which when the closure is fully inserted rests upon the top of the jar. The other side of this flange is chamfered from opposite points B B lying somewhat to one side of the center of the closure, so that the flange narrows down to a comparatively thin portion as indicated at B which. when the closure is in place extends a considerable distance above the top of the container as is indicated in Fig. 1; this chamfering or beveling of the top flange of the closure constitutes one feature of my invention the function of which will be hereafter pointed out.

Extending down from the flange B is a cylindrical portion 3*, which is adapted to enter the mouth of the container freely, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Serial No. 344,533.

for a considerable distance, preferably to the depth of the beveled portion A of the container mouth. Below this portion 13 is further cylindrical extension B of smaller diameter, at the top of which is formed a shoulder B against which shoulder rests a rubber gasket indicated at C, said gasket being located on the narrow cylindrical extension B, and extending, when uncompressed, for some distance beyond the cylindrical portion 13*, so that when the closure is inserted in the container the asket is lat- A orally compressed in passing over the tapered portion A and finally rests against the side portion A of the container in a state of lateral compression. Aside from the chamfering of the flange B of the closure the construction of the closure, as above described, is the same as the construction described in my pending application for Letters Patent Ser. No. 27 L071, filed January 30, 1919, and is covered by the claims therein. A new feature, however, is found in the recesses B which I form in the cylindrical extension B in such a manner that they extend over a point below the portion covered by the gasket to a point somewhat below the shoulder B, so that the upper port-ions of these recesses are covered by the lower portion of the gasket.

D, Fig. 2, indicates a tool, such as a knife blade, in the act of being used to pry the closure away from the container.

Where containers are sealed with closures of the general type shown in the drawings under a considerable vacuum it is a matter of some difiiculty to raise the closure to a suiflcient height to admit air and break the vacuum, and my present improvement is directed to this difiiculty and makes it easier to break the vacuum for two reasons. First, because it is made easier to tilt the closure in the mouth of the container, and second, in providing means for admission of air after a short upward movement of the closure when the gasket does not follow the upward movement of the closure.

When it is desired to open the container a knife blade, or similar tool, is introduced under the thick edge of the flange B and this edge pressed upward, as shown in Fig. 2. The container then turns on the points B B where the chamfer 6 begins until the narrower portion 13 of the flange B comes in contact with the top of the container, and it is obvious that this rocking action of the closure could be more easily accomplished and with less force than would be the case if the flange B had a flat under surface contacting with all portions of the container top. Again, it will be noticed that when the closure is tilted, as shown in Fig. 2, and the gasket C does not follow the movement of the closure, that after a short upward movement the tops of the recesses B will extend above the edge of the gasket and admit air into the container breaking the vacuum and making it easy to remove the closure.

tainer, .a downwardly extending cylindrical portion adapted to freely enter and extend fora considerable distance into the container mouth, and a cylindrical extension of less diameter adapted to serve'as a seat for a gasket, and formed with recesses in its cylindrical face extending up into but not entirely through to the portion which serves as a gasket seat;

3. A closure having a peripheral flange adapted to extend over the top of a container, said flange having its under surface formed substantially flat on one side and chamfered upward on the other side with rocking fulcrums at the meeting points of the flat and chamfered surfaces lying in a plane approximately diametrio to the closure, said closure having also a downwardly extending cylindrical portion adapted to freely enter and extend for a considerable distance into the container mouth and a cylindrical extension of less diameter adapted to serve as a seat for a gasket and formed with recesses in its cylindrical face extending up into but not entirely through to the portion which serves as a gasket seat.

. HARRY E. TOWNSEND. 

